


An encounter of the Risian kind

by Querion



Category: Star Trek: Voyager
Genre: Dessert & Sweets, Drunken Flirting, F/F, Slow Burn
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-06-26
Updated: 2019-12-10
Packaged: 2020-05-20 05:37:01
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 15
Words: 13,227
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/19370602
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Querion/pseuds/Querion
Summary: Kathryn Janeway is back on Earth but she is miserable. Her sister sends her off to Risa to have fun and meet people. She goes for counselling where counselor Deana Troi tells her the same thing: Go have fun and meet people. Deana Troi also sends someone else to Risa to go have fun and meet people. Two lost people, two lost halves get sent off to the same location.





	1. Chapter 1

Captain Kathryn Janeway sat on her  large fluffy white towel. The beach was full of people from all over the Federation as the weather was lovely this time of year on Risa. She lamented her cowardice a year ago, when she brought her ship back home from the Delta Quadrant. She should have told her.

 

Kathryn was on six months leave. Deana Troi, her counselor, had suggested that she go to Risa, find the woman within herself, meet other people and have fun. Kathryn had interpreted this to mean: Go fool around, sleep with anyone you fancy. She could not do it because, none of these handsome men and beautiful women singing her praises for bringing her ship back home, felt attractive enough to spark anything in her. Only one person did. Her. It was too painful for Kathryn Janeway to even mention her name, the woman who meant everything to her.

 

Janeway activated the parasol and lay on her back. Her red one piece swim suit accentuated her gentle curves in all the right places. She opened her old fashioned paper back and started to read it, or pretend to. She noted that if she opened her book to "read" people usually left her alone. This afternoon she felt particularly vulnerable when a tall blonde Risian woman offered her a "horga`hn" and declared that " _All that is mine is yours,"_ then walked away. The beautiful woman looked just like her. 

 

 _Kathryn saw her walk down the gang way on the day they returned to Earth, holding hands with him. She had_   _a_   _small smile on her face while he had_ a _triumphant smile on his. He seemed to be taunting her, that he won her. She could be wrong, though, but Kathryn could no longer be objective about anything related to her. Everything seemed to swirl in a jumble of jealousy, regret and self chastisement._

 

Seven of Nine sat on the other side of the beach. She activated her parasol and lay down on her orange towel. She felt miserable. Her boyfriend, Chakotay, had left her because she was frigid. His large wandering hands felt too intrusive as he tried to fondle her. Every time he kissed her, she froze. According to what she had read and researched, one did not react this way to someone one loved. They finally decided to break their relationship off but promised to remain friends. 

 

Seven longed for the single kiss by someone.

 

_It happened in the jefferies tube 21 Alpha, she still remembered the exact star date and of course the time. The red haired woman crawled in the tight space, looking for something which seemed to have rolled into the seam between two bulkheads. She liked to walk the lower decks at odd hours of the Gamma shift. She had followed her from a distance, making sure she stayed out of the red haired one`s way. She saw the woman sit down and smile triumphantly, as if she found what she was looking for. Her smile was so captivating that Seven threw caution to the wind and quickly crawled towards her target. She surprised the captain by starting to kiss her. It only took a split second for the captain`s brain to realize that it was her secret crush kissing her. At first she was stiff in the young Borg`s arms but she quickly relaxed and her body betrayed her when she kissed Seven back enthusiastically._

 

That was a few weeks prior to going through the Borg`s transwarp hub. That someone`s name was too painful to be mentioned. She still remembered her taste, the perfume she wore and the uniform she wore. She had come here on counselor Troi`s advice to " _have fun and meet people."_ So far she had met some people but she was yet to have fun. She sighed sadly and hoped she would be happy by the end of the week.  

 

A waiter stood patiently, waiting to be noticed. When she remained absorbed in her book, he cleared his throat to get her attention. When she looked up and saw a man standing near the parasol where she lay, Kathryn felt irritation bubble up from within. She tempered it down and decided to find out what the young man wanted.

_"How can i help you, young man?"_

_"Ma`am, i have been asked to present you with this drink, snacks, the rose and this envelope."_ The waiter presented the snacks and the envelope. Kathryn turned the envelope in all directions trying to figure out where it was from. All it said was " _T_ _o Kathryn Janeway, from an old friend,"_ written in neat penmanship. Janeway wondered who would still use old fashioned envelopes. It has to be someone who knew her background as a Traditionalist. Could it be Phoebe, her sister? Or could it be? No! She dismissed the other thought as soon as it materialized in her mind. She is with him now.

 

Kathryn who had started to doze off became fully alert. She tore off the envelope and found a pink piece of paper with the hotel name at the top right corner. She started to read it:

 

_"Captain Kathryn Janeway, i have missed your kiss. Would you like to reenact the scenario with me tonight at 19:00 hours. I await your reply. My room is 215B. I know yours is 210A. Love, Seven of Nine, Tertiary Adjunct of Unimatrix Zero One."_

 

Kathryn could not believe her eyes. She took the red rose lying on the neat silver tray and sniffed it. She looked at the snacks, dried apricots, dried bananas and a Samarian Sunset drink. If Kathryn still doubted if it was really Seven, she just had to look at the nutritious supplements in the bowl on the tray. That is Seven, alright! Always precise and to the point. Janeway thought happily. What was Seven doing alone in Risa, without him? `I guess i will find out tonight.` She said. Now Kathryn became too excited to read. She packed her things and headed to her room for a shower.


	2. Chapter 2

He watched her every move as she sat at the pool side. The large floral Hawaiian print shirt and black leggings suited her well. Her bare feet gently dipped in the blue water in the pool. She was writing a note on a pink piece of paper. She looked happy. Why does she look happy. She should be miserable. He saw the tears in her eyes when they broke up. They promised to remain cordial when they broke up. She probably took things literally, as always. He wondered what she was doing here? He adjusted his powerful binoculars. He knew this was wrong. One should not be spying on one`s ex girlfriend. He wanted to say " _ex lover_ ," but nothing really happened between them. He so much wanted things to happen, but she would not let him try. She was so frigid. He wondered whether the Borg left anything of her womanhood intact? He was sure they did because he saw....the man terminated that line of thought when he heard someone clear their throat behind him.

_"Can i help you, Sir?"_ The uniformed Risian guard asked him politely.

_"Uh, no. Why?"  He asked._

_"We don`t want people causing trouble for tourists who have come here to relax and enjoy themselves. So i suggest you put your binoculars away and stop spying on the young woman at the pool."_ The giant wall of a female guard said amicably.

 

He sighed and folded his instrument before placing it in his shoulder strapped bag and walked away. He should not have let her go. Even though he did not really love her, he knew that he would have started feeling something for her soon. Sometimes you don`t love someone straight away, it grows on you. He briefly wondered where the redheaded captain was? Was she still on Earth? At her family farm? He should really talk to the Borg woman, maybe she will take him back.

 

He walked back to his hotel suite feeling dejected. He should not have let her go. He had a new sense of determination when he thought about something he overlooked earlier. She was alone at the pool. That could mean one thing. She was here alone. Chakotay thought that this evening he should approach her and maybe things will go well when she sees reason. With renewed determination, he headed straight for her.

_"Excuse me, Ma`am. I am Edith Beresford, chief of security at this hotel. I just wanted to know whether you are okay? I just apprehended a man spying on you using a powerful pair binoculars. Just let me know if you need any help."_

_"Uh, thank you Edith Beresford. I am okay but i am unaware of any man who should be spying on me..."_ The young woman thought again then realization came upon her. " _Did this man have raven hair and did he have tattoos on one side of his face?"_

_"Yes to both questions, Ma`am. Shall i follow him?"_

_"Yes, please. I thought we were through but clearly he has some unfinished business..."_

_"I don`t mean to pry on your life, Ms?"_

_"Seven of Nine."_

_"...Seven of Nine. Is he your lover?"_

_"He was my boyfriend but i would not go far as to call him an ex lover..."_ The young woman said dryly.

_"Ah, i see. Very well. Don`t worry. My team and i will keep a close eye on him. Let me know if you need any help."_ The guard said politely and walked away.

" _Thank you, Edith Beresford."_ Seven of Nine said and sighed. She was appalled at the man`s behaviour. Clearly he has not moved on with his life.


	3. Chapter 3

Chakotay walked up to Seven, but he hesitated a bit when he saw that the woman was intently looking at a padd. A holo image of a smiling captain Janeway wearing a white long sleeved button down blouse looked back up at the young woman.

 _"Maybe this wasn`t such a good idea. Now i think i know who her heart belongs to."_ As the man started walking away before he was seen by Seven, he bumped into the same security guard from earlier, Edith Beresford.

" _Hello, again."_ The guard said in a friendly manner. " _May i ask what you are doing, Sir?"_ Chakotay saw through the deceptive politeness that the guard was not going to let the matter drop until he explained himself. He sighed and walked a few steps away from the pool and stopped. The guard followed him then stopped. The whole time Chakotay and the guard talked quietly the woman at the pool was oblivious to her surroundings. She seemed so absorbed in the holo image of the Starfleet captain.

" _Well, i suppose you would like me to tell you everything?"_ He temporized.

" _That would be the best place to start..."_ The guard encouraged. Chakotay found her quite friendly but he also knew that she was on his case. The best thing to do was to comply which he did.

 

The man sighed again and started explaining. " _You see, i am in love with my captain, but she would not give me the time of day, so i tried to make her jealous. I dated her best friend, whom i did not love. I assumed that if i took her friend away from her, she would get jealous and come to me. Things did not work that way, because when she walked in on us having a picnic in the ship`s cargo bay two, she simply smiled at us, turned around and walked away. She did not argue with me, congratulate me or acknowledge anything. It was as if she shut everything out of her mind._

 _"A noble woman."_  The guard said and waited for more explanation from the man.

_"From that day on she continued to act normally towards us but i could see that she was deeply hurt by my actions, which was what i wanted. Unfortunately i could not terminate our new relationship and when we got home i did not have time to talk to my captain. She just walked past me and her family took her home."_

_"Oh dear! That is a fine mess you`re in, Sir."_  The guard sympathized. " _So where does the spying come in?"_

_"Oh, Seven and i were trying to get more close but she would not let me. Sometimes she would just shut herself off and completely freeze in my arms, it was disconcerting."_

_"So you wanted to apologize to her?"_

_"Yes, especially now that i know who she really is in love with..."_

_"Who is it?"_  Beresford asked.

_"The captain."_

_"How did you come to that conclusion?"_

_"Just before you caught me approaching her, i saw what she was looking at on her padd."_

_"What was it?"_

_"The captain`s holo image."_  The guard thought that there was such a finality to that short sentence, that he believed that Seven had feelings for her captain. There was no love triangle, only the base or adjacent side of a right angled triangle, where Seven and possibly the captain loved each other, and he was not part of it. The triangle was incomplete. A deep sadness crept through the man to settle in his heart. He no longer wanted to speak with Seven or apologize to her. He will leave her alone and try to move on. He did not really love her in the first place. As for Kathryn, time will heal him. Maybe one day he will look back at this time and laugh at what happened and what he did. He was a noble man and he was not going to cause a scene. Chakotay silently wished the women the best of luck and walked away from the guard.

 

Edith Beresford watched the man walk away from her and headed towards the hotel main entrance slowly, as if he were defeated by some unseen force. She let him go. She felt sorry for him and knew that he would not cause any more trouble. She shook her head and continued on her patrol. She passed by Seven who was still sitting at the pool staring at the same padd and holo image.

 _"Excuse me, Seven of Nine? I just thought that i should update you on the matter from earlier. I have had a chat with the man and i believe he will not bother you any longer. He seems to understand his mistake. Enjoy your evening."_  

" _Thank you, officer."_ Seven said and stood up. She gathered her things to go back to her suite to prepare for her meeting with Kathryn. She was afraid to call it a date but she was ready to face whatever would befall her.


	4. Chapter 4

_"Oh, god! What do i wear now? I didn`t really think about packing anything. What do i do?"_ Janeway panicked when she searched into her small travel bag. There was a black pair of jeans and a blue tank top. She searched some more and found a red summer dress with tiny little white flowers on it. The black leather jacket which Phoebe insisted she take was draped over the back of the chair. She looked at the red dress then at the jeans and tank top. As she tried to decide on what to wear, a message got through to her padd which was sitting on the bed beside her.

 _"Hey, Sis, it`s been two days since you`ve been gone. I didn`t want to disturb you, in case you were busy. Get it? Emphasis on `busy.`"_ Phoebe winked at her sister, causing Kathryn to roll her eyes.

" _Phoebs, i`ve been eating, sleeping and i have been going out reading at the beach..."_ Janeway was cut off by her sister.

 _"Oh, Sis. Not the old reading routine again!"_  Phoebe lamented. _"You know that people won`t approach you when they see you reading. I mean they`re already terrified by your reputation alone, that you`re the captain Janeway who killed the Borg and even assimilated a drone into your own Collective..."_ Janeway cut her off with a warning.

" _Phoebe, i did what you asked. I came to Risa. I have met people and i`m having fun. What else do you want me to do?"_ Kathryn regretted asking that question as soon as it came out of her mouth.

 _What are you trying to do, Katie?  Scare people away? You went there to meet people and have fun, remember?"_ Phoebe looked straight into her older sibling`s eyes.

 

The force ten glare directed at her, in Janeway`s now stormy gray eyes, did not faze Phoebe. She had grown up perfecting the defenses she built against this very glare, now she was completely immune to it. Phoebe shook her head in disbelief. She knew that her sister has never really had a relationship or possibly have sex with anyone in the last seven years Kathryn was lost in the Delta Quadrant. An alien here or there did not really count.

 

Phoebe was greatly distressed when she stole into Kathryn`s things and found a padd which contained all her thoughts, the ones she never told anyone. Thoughts of her doubts and fears while in the Delta. Of wanting to connect with another individual but not being able to because of her job as captain, that she could not fraternize with her crew. One particular entry which caused Phoebe most distress was an entry Kathryn made:  _Stardate 50264.3. Kathryn Janeway`s personal log. On this date i managed to outwit the Devore Inspectors, particularly one named Kashyk. I disliked him from the start but i had to pretend that i cared for him. Phew, i`m so glad that was over! Honestly i felt that i was cheating on her. God, i must be going crazy because i know that my first officer is dating her. I better keep my distance, for Starfleet`s sake, if not for myself, because i can`t do it. Computer, delete last entry!"_ For some reason the computer never deleted the last entry.

 

Itwas this entry that made Phoebe start to interfere with her sister`s affair. She knew that Katie was in love with her astrometrics officer, but Phoebe did not know where to start to help. Phoebe read the entry to her mum, Gretchen. The Janeway matriarch was not sure whether Phoebe was doing the right thing, but Gretchen knew one thing. If Kathryn was in love that badly with Seven of Nine, that meant she will not get involved with anybody else. She may even decide to cut her vacation short and take command of another ship and go away. Kathryn`s unique mind also reasoned uniquely. She had so much honour in her, a Klingon would be proud of her and Gretchen knew of one half Klingon chief engineer who was very proud of Kathryn Janeway`s sense of honour.

 

Gretchen and Phoebe talked about things and finally Gretchen sent Phoebe to chat with Seven. Whatever consequences there would be Gretchen was ready to take up the blame. Kathryn was her daughter. She may not know much about the captain part of her Katie, but she sure knew Katie no matter how long she had been gone from her. With that decision made, Mrs Janeway sent her "messenger" in the name of her youngest daughter, Phoebe. Luckily Seven of Nine was also brooding over lost chances with the person she really wanted to be with, regretting going away with the wrong individual in the name of Kathryn`s first officer and friend.

 

The conversation between Phoebe and Seven at one of San Fransisco restaurants was fairly straight forward. Seven refused to order anything, choosing to read something on a padd while Phoebe drank a cup of coffee. 

" _Okay, Seven of Nine. Tell me why you claim to be very good friends with my sister but you never bothered to tell her of this great step in reclaiming your humanity, that you have a boyfriend?"_ Phoebe cut to the chase.

" _Kathryn was also my captain, i could not just walk to her and declare my undying love to her. It would have ended our friendship. She is the only one in the universe that i trust with my life and secrets..."_ She was cut off by Phoebe.

"... _yet you neglected to tell your best friend of this important milestone? Explain?!"_ The young Janeway demanded. Seven looked at Phoebe and smiled a tiny smile. Phoebe sounded exactly like captain Janeway just then. Seven realized that this woman was trying to help so she trusted her.

 _"I love her, Phoebe. I have kissed her once and i know i want to be with her..."_  Seven lowered her head, as if in defeat. " _..._ _but i do not know how to proceed."_  The beautiful blonde said simply.

 _"I`m glad to hear that...you kissed her? That`s great!"_  Phoebe was delighted at the news. She became even more determined to help. She could not imagine that her somewhat prude older sister was capable of kissing someone back.

 _"Do you want me to help?"_  Phoebe had a lop sided smile and a raised eye brow in challenge. She looked so much like Kathryn just then.

 _"Yes, please."_ Seven said shyly. She realized that she may have said too much by revealing the kiss, but she said it because she genuinely loved Kathryn and was not ashamed to admit it to Kathryn`s sister.

_"Very well, i`ll help you both. Just don`t tell her anything...yet. I heard that she`s going to the counselor tomorrow. She`s going to Risa immediately after that. I talked to the counselor to suggest it to her. You have a counselor appointment as well, don`t you?"_

_"Yes."_  Seven said, realization dawning on her. She knew what to do. She was going to suggest to be sent to Risa to the counselor.

 

Back in Kathryn`s Risa suite, she looked at her sister on her padd`s screen and sighed.

" _Phoebs, it`s not that simple to just walk up to "people" and declare my undying love for them. Relax, i am having fun and i`ll tell you all about it when i get back, okay?"_ Janeway tried to dismiss her sister but Phoebe saw through it.

" _No, Katie, it`s not `okay!` You are going to get out of that room and go have fun outside. Go to the festival tonight, you might meet someone you like there."_ Phoebe pretended she knew nothing about Seven`s presence at the same hotel. Janeway was getting tired with Phoebe`s nosiness. She decided to just tell her some truth and maybe Phoebe will leave her alone.

" _Phoebs, i`ve already found someone to have fun with. I`ll tell you all about it. Happy?"_ Phoebe looked suspiciously into her older sister`s eyes, to try and gauge Katie`s sincerety, but Phoebe could not tell so she nodded her head and terminated the channel. Kathryn sighed and threw herself on the bed. She lay there for a few moments but when she looked at the chronometer the time read 18:40, almost time to go to Seven`s suite.

 

She got up and threw her blue tank top and jeans on. She wore her white socks and trainers and took her jacked then headed for the door. She headed to the large kitchen where she grabbed a slice of pizza and a can of carbonated drink from the buffet table and went to sit on the couch in the lounge. At 18:58, Janeway pressed the door chime to Seven`s suite and waited nervously. She wondered why she was so nervous at seeing her old friend. `Seven was her friend, right?` She wondered because right then, it seemed that she was going on a date. That thought calmed her down. Maybe she will tell her friend how she feels about her.

 

Unbeknownst to her, Seven was pacing in her suite. She kept looking at the time, wondering what to say, rehearse  what to say then wondered about the new thought. Right then Seven felt very inefficient. She smiled despite the chaotic mind she now suffered, that `Kathryn may be feeling the same way. I mean, Kathryn is free to love, isn`t she? She is not a captain any more, ergo...`  Seven was talking to herself now then the door chime interrupted her monologue.

 

 _"Oh, no! Kathryn is here. What do_ _i_   _say?"_

 

 

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

Seven of Nine felt inefficient as she paced the length of her hotel suite trying to calm herself down. She did not even know why she felt this nervous about seeing her friend. Kathryn Janeway has been her friend for four long years. They have been through thick and thin together, even seen each other at their most vulnerable. They have played Velocity together, laughed together, argued and cried together. So why was she nervous? 'Maybe because you're about to see a different side of her, with luck you're both going to explore this difference together.' The young woman's logical side attempted to reason with her.

The door bell rang causing Seven to jerk her head up abruptly. She walked to the door and opened it for her friend.

 _"Captain!_   _It is good to see you. Please come in."_

 _"Likewise. You look amazing, Seven. I think red suits you."_ Kathryn said. She stood in the middle of the room, unsure of what she should do next. She did not have time to think about Seven's sleeveless dress, and her long blonde hair flowing in gentle golden waves over her shoulders and down her back like a waterfall. Janeway was saved from thoughts unbecoming a Starfleet captain when the young woman engulfed her captain in a tight embrace. 

Seven felt shy arms go round her waist and gently pull her towards Kathryn while her own arms had gone over Janeway’s shoulders.They stayed embraced for a long while when Janeway felt a warm puff of air in her ear.

_"Kathryn, i missed your kiss so much. It is all what i have been thinking about and what i have been looking forward to. I knew you would be here."_

Seven sobbed softly.

" _I am here, Love. I love you."_ Kathryn sobbed.

The embrace, the whispering of words of endearment to each other felt so natural and right to both of them. Seven moved her lips sideways, from the earlobe. She kissed her way along the strong jaw. She smiled when she felt Kathryn shiver. She knew that she was doing the right thing.

The young woman grew bolder when she felt Janeway’s arms tighten at her waist and the confession the other woman made. She just had to kiss Kathryn. Slowly Seven reached Kathryn Janeway’s lips. They were warm and yielding. When the young woman nibbled Kathryn's lower lip she felt the lips part for her. 

This kiss felt unhurried, as if they had done it a thousand times before. She started to explore Kathryn slowly, as if she had all the time in the world.

A few moments later Kathryn yielded to the young woman fully. She started to kiss her back and explore. Soon the pair was kissing with abandon. It was as if they had come home. Home to each other.

Seven of Nine felt Kathryn's leather jacket, which the other woman still held in her hand, fall to the floor. Then she felt small soft hands, much smaller than her other paramour's, go up her back. They expertly found the zip fastener of her red dress and gently tugged it all the way down her back. Then the arms stopped.

 _" Seven, is this what you want? To be with me? There's no going back once we do this. I love you, do you love me enough to do this?"_ Janeway suddenly felt unsure of herself. Seven was young, much younger than herself. She should let her explore her sexuality, let her meet other people. 

Her self doubt was soon replaced by sense of responsibility. She could not do this to the young woman. She became convinced that she was taking advantage of her friend.

" _Seven, i can't do this to you. You're young and beautiful. You need to explore your sexuality. Go out, have fun and meet people. That is why you came to Risa. Isn't it?"_

Seven felt the small, soft hands which were touching her bare back deliciously, now release their touch to be replaced by a cold breeze. She knew that if she did not do anything now she may lose this woman. So the young woman moved away from the embrace, as she did her red dress which was simply held up by the embrace slowly fell away and pooled to the floor between them.

Janeway looked up at the woman's face. She dared not look down as her body might betray her again. Kathryn wanted the best for her friend and if one loves someone, one must also be prepared to look out for them, not take advantage of them. Even if it hurt so much. Janeway was convinced she was doing the right thing for her best friend.

"... _but Kathryn i love you! I have loved you for a long time. Please let me show you..."_ Seven pleaded with her love as she felt Kathryn walk away from her. The last things she heard were the whispered words _" i'm sorry, Darling. I can't take advantage of you"_ and the muted sound of the closed door of her suite. Kathryn was gone. Gone from her. Gone out  of her life?

Seven of Nine Tertiary adjunct of Unimatrix Zero One fell to the floor, naked. She was overcome by a sense of great distress and sadness. Fluid leaked out of her eyes as her body shook uncontrollably as she sobbed. The young woman was never known for being helpless. Whenever she felt unsure of how to handle things on Voyager, she would simply pull on a mask of Borg indifference. It always worked for her. It was equivalent to Kathryn Janeway’s commamd mask. The mask of indifference.

Unfortunately for the young woman, Kathryn was capable of cutting right through Seven's ruse as a hot  knife slices through butter and expose all her vulnerabilities, leaving her all exposed and wanting Kathryn even more.

 

 


	6. Chapter 6

Kathryn walked to her room in a daze. She did things by rote, in a mechanical fashion. She went to the bathroom, did her ablutions then walked out again. She sat on the large comfortable bed, but it did not really feel comfortable tonight. She felt deep sorrow pierce through the duranium wall she had constructed around her heart. The wall's protection seemed to be malfunctioning since she felt the pain raw and grating in her heart. She decided that she cannot  continue living like this, pining over someone she could not have because of her principles. In the morning she would head back to Earth to talk to her mentor, Admiral Paris. There were rumours flying of a new ship being built at the Utopia Planetia ship yards above the planet Mars. Perhaps if she talked to him nicely, she might be her captain.

Her padd beeped to indicate an incoming call. She looked at it, not really wanting to speak with her sister, but the caller insisted on ringing. The beeping sound started to irritate her so Janeway quickly dried her eyes with the back of her hand and answered the call.

 _"What do you want, Phoebs?"_ Kathryn asked nonchalantly, but her perceptive sister saw through things.

_"Hi, Katie. Are you okay? Are your allergies bothering you again?_

_"Why do you ask?"_ Janeway said.

 _" You always get allergies after you get back planet side and your eyes are red and puffy.."_ The younger Janeway said.

 _"Yeah Phoebs. It's particularly bad this year! "_ Kathryn lied.

Phoebe Janeway knew there was something else going on. Somehow she thought that the something must be connected to Seven of Nine. She narrowed her eyes through the padd screen, causing her elder sister to flinch. It felt as if Phoebe was looking into her soul. The two Janeways stared at each other as if in a contest. Finally the younger one decided that Kathryn was probably lying but she let things go for now. She was going to talk to Seven of Nine.

Seven of Nine remained on the floor, crying. She stayed there for a while until the violent sobs had subsided. Seven got up from the carpeted floor and went into the bedroom to get ready for bed. She was going to head back to Earth the following day. She heard from Chakotay before they broke up, and from B'Elanma Torres, that a new ship was  being built at Utopia Planitia. 

Phoebe hailed Seven. When the still sniffling young woman picked her padd and activated it the younger Janeway knew that something was wrong and it was probably connected to Janeway.

_" Oh Honey, have you been crying?"_

_"No, Phoebe. There is something in my eyes."_

_"Allergies?"_

_"Yes."_

_"You both must have picked the wrong time to go to Risa. It's Kathryn, isn't it?"_

_"Yes."  Seven was never a good_  liar. She lowered her gaze to the floor. She found the carpet design particularly interesting tonight. When Phoebe simply stared at her through the screen the young woman decided that she needed help getting Kathryn, that she was going to put her pride aside and accept Phoebe’s help.

 


	7. Chapter 7

Kathryn Janeway walked along the well manicured lawns of Starfleet headquarters. She had two very important agendas that morning. First she was going to request an assignment. She was confident that her mentor will be able to sort it out for her. Her second agenda was a bit more complex. 

Admiral Owen Paris got out of his hover car and walked towards the corridor which will take him to his office on the thirty fourth floor. He had a meeting with his protege, Kathryn Janeway.  The man was proud of the young woman he had taken under his wings a few years before and taught her all there was to know about star ships and administration. He watched her grow and become independent. She even managed to do the impossible, she brought her ship and crew back intact, after being lost for seven years in an uncharted Delta Quadrant of the galaxy. What impressed him the most was the fact that Kathryn, his surrogate daughter, managed to rehabilitate her " brother" and his son Tom Paris. Something the New Zealand penitentiary may not have been able to do. Tom was married to a beautiful half-Klingon, B'Elanna Torres, and they had a beautiful daughter, Miral.The older man and his wife Clara, were forever grateful to Kathryn.

Kathryn stood at the reception, waiting for her mentor. As soon as she saw him she smiled nervously. The perceptive older man knew that Kathryn required his fatherly advice rather than anything to do with her job.

 _"Come in, Kathryn. Would you like a coffee?"_   Kathryn politely declined. The man asked as he got one for himself. He looked up at Janeway, surprised at her reaction to his offer but he promptly schooled his features to indifference. Now he really knew that something was bothering Kathryn. 

Owen took a sip from his cup and walked behind his desk, while silently observing Janeway’s profile. 

The young woman had her hands behind her back, shoulders straight and she looked straight ahead towards the large windows overlooking the beautiful gardens. Her posture was so tense Owen feared that if he touched her she might bounce in the room a few times and land back to her position evem more tenser than before. He sighed and took another sip.

_"Are you okay, Katie?"_

_"Owen, i want to go back to work. Give me a ship and I'll help out with the Maquis situation along the Federation-Cardassian boarder. Or i could go revisit the friends we made in the Delta..."_ Owen cut her short. He looked at her for a while as he tried to figure out how to handle the situation. Owen had overheard his son and daughter-in-law talk about the Janeway-Seven- Chakotay dynamics. He knew that Kathryn was pining for her astrometrics officer who was dating her first officer.

Owen decided to help his protege but he was careful in his reaction. He knew of Kathryn's reactions to personal scenarios. She liked to bottle things up when they were too painful or when she did not know how to handle them.

'She's running away. ' Owen thought. He decided to play along, he knew reasoning with the young woman will not work if he wanted to help. He made a point to speak with Janeway's crush.

_"Thanks for offering, Katie, but i honestly thought you'd  want to spend some time with your family? To get yourself accustomed to being at home and planetside again. Gretchen and Phoebe missed you so much and i know you missed them too."_

Janeway sighed, then schooled her features to indifference.

 _"I'm glad my family is okay, i'm also glad that the whole Federation is okay. My crew is happily in love and i've done my job. I'm now ready to go back to work. Just give me the ship which is still under construction at the Utopia Planetia and i won't disapppint you."_ She jutted out her chin with confidence, the confidence she did not really feel. She realized how hard it was to try and forget Seven, the kiss and the wonderful soft body she almost touched.

'Oh, this is bad. Very bad.' Owen Paris thought as he followed Kathryn at the large windows. He quietly stood beside her, wishing he was a telepath so he could convey his message of reassurance to her. 

He touched her shoulder.  _"Katie? i know how you feel about things right now. I'll aithorize a ship. Voyager is still being looked at by Federation specialists, but the ship being built is a galaxy class. It's so much larger than Voyager and has a much larger crew complement. Will you be able to head back to the Delta, be the Federation representative there?"_

_"Yes, Admiral."_

Janeway walked out feeling happier than when she first went in. She just wished she was really happy. Kathryn could not seem to move on from unloving Seven of Nine. There did not seem to be a love off switch in her heart.

She walked to Starfleet medical to meet Voyager's EMH and her godmother, Kate Pulaski.

Kathryn requested to have an implant which would release natural endorphins to make her happy and forget Seven.

 

The reasons for the implant came out in fits and starts. Luckily both doctors knew their patient very well. The EMH had known Janeway for seven long years while doctor Kate Pulaski had known Kathryn all her life. It was a simple matter to unscramble the words and rearrange sentences to find the hidden meaning of the request.

 _"Doctors Pulaski and Dr, i would like you to help me. I am going back on a long haul flight and i don't want to be miserable. It is a potentially dangerous mission which may last years. I don't want to be miserable for years. Can you help me?"_ She looked at the two doctors expectantly.

Pulaski and the EMH looked at each other and smiled discreetly. Owen had alerted them of Kathryn’s pending arrival. 

 

 


	8. Chapter 8

_"Captain, this particular implant is dangerous. I read a paper about a Cardassian living on the Deep Space Nine station, called Elim Garak. He had such an implant which he ended up abusing. It was detrimental to his health. You'll end up abusing it resulting in severe headaches, seizures, and if not treated, death. I don't want to lose you, you're my friend."_

_"Who said anything about losing anyone? I'm a responsible person. I'm a Starfleet captain!"_ Janeway said desperately. 

Dr Kate Pulaski stood aside, watching the two officers talking. When she saw her god daughter getting desperate and upset that was when the doctor decided to intervene. 

 _"Captain, what's this really about?"_ Janeway was floored. She remained quiet for a while, thinking what to say next. Finally she decided to tell the two physicians a little white lie.

 _" I didn't know i needed this friend,  i lost her, then found her and i've  lost her again and all because i thought i was doing her a favour. I'm not sure I'll ever find her again."_ The senior doctor felt like there was such a finality to those words. They were words full of bitterness, regret and defeat, not like Janeway at all. Luckily Admiral Paris hinted at some things regarding the star ship captain before Janeway arrived at Starfleet Medical.

 _"Very well, so you lost someone. Can't you talk to her?"_ Pulaski tried to reason with her.

 _"You don't understand. It's like...she's a forbidden fruit i'm being tantalized with...have you ever been in love?"_ Janeway realized that she had revealed too much information.  She had arms across her chest and leaned against a biobed behind her.

The two doctors smiled at each others knowingly. 

" _Come back next week and we'll fix you something, captain."_ Pulaski said and patted her shoulders. Janeway felt like a helpless little girl when she was around admiral Paris or doctor Pulaski. These two and her mother usually did not care about her captaincy. They could easily break her with just words. Luckily this did not happen often.

After Janeway left for Bloomington, her hometown, the two doctors devised a plan to get Seven of Nine to Starfleet Medical. Doctor Pulaski was fond of the young ex drone and her somewhat brusque manner of speech. Doctor Pulaski herself was known to have  similar speech patterns. The EMH was also fond of the young wo in his opinion was more like him than any other human.

 

Seven of Nine packed her things, including Kathryn's secret diary which Phoebe sent her via secure channels, and went to the nearest Risian transport station. Once she reached Earth she contacted Phoebe who went to pick her up. Together they headed to Bloomington. 

On the way Seven explained all her frustrations regarding her failed plan to woo the woman she loved.

" _Kathryn is a frustrating love interest. Why does she punish herself so much when she clearly wants to be with me? Her lips, her hands around my naked body, her lips were responding to..."_ Phoebe cut the frustrated woman off.

" _Whoa, Seven. Too much info! Damn, my sister did all that and still she harbours some misguided ideas that she's taking advantage of you? I think you should meet her often. Be her friend, listen to her. I'm sure one day she'll throw herself on you."_

_"Thank you, Phoebe."_

 

 


	9. Chapter 9

The following week Janeway returned to Starfleet Medical to have her implant inserted. The doctors explained that it was going to be embedded in the pituitary gland. Under stressful conditions it will produce much more natural endorphins than the pituitary gland would produce on its own. This will make her happy and more tolerant to pain and stresses and even torture.

_"So captain. Do you still want to go ahead with the surgery? Have you talked to her yet?" Dr Pulaski wanted to know._

_"I...i'm still thinking about it, but i think i'm ready to have the implant, Doctors."_ Janeway squared her shoulders. She stood up from the chair she was sitting on and went to lie on a biobed. The last thing she remembered was the memory of the smiling face of the woman she adored.

_Kathryn was running down a slippery, icy, dimly-lit tunnel. She could sense Seven was there and she was chasing after the young woman but she could not actually see her. The tunnel seemed to be endless and she could not catch her. "Seven, wait! I need to talk to you about something. It's important!" She shouted. The young woman kept running. Finally Janeway was exhausted. So she sent happy thoughts to Seven and told her what she wanted to say. It was the thought of their kiss in Seven's Risian suite. The moment she finished sending the thought Seven stopped and she could now see her. They were not in the tunnel anymore. They were standing  in a green valley with a stream lazily meandering it's way to a larger stream._

Janeway woke up feeling euphoric. She was lying on a biobed at Starfleet Medical. The melodic gentle beeps rose and fell as they monitored her vital signs.

Kathryn heard the two doctors talking about the implant being activated prematurely. Janeway knew she was the one who activated the implant and that she should not have done it.

_"Doctor? I'm sorry that i activated the implant prematurely. I couldn't help it."_ Janeway sat and clasped her hands neatly together on her lap. She looked down to see her green surgical gown had a drop of blood on it.

_"Kathryn, you're awake? Good. I take it you're feeling better. I have to say that for a simple surgical procedure we almost lost you twice. Your EMH's ingenuity saved you. He said something about it reminding him of just a day in his life of patching up a broken captain Kathryn Janeway in the Delta Quadrant."_ Janeway snorted and reached for her clothes. Doctor Pulaski disconnected all the leads attached to Janeway's head, spine, and the chest. Pulaski explained that the blood on her hospital gown came from the time during the procedure when Janeway was pulling off her cannula which infused anaesthetic medication to her system. It was almost as if Kathryn was chasing after someone judging from the way her hands moved unconscioisly. All her vital signs were way off because of the adrenaline Kathryn was releasing during her anaesthetic induced dream. 

Kathryn blushed. She remembered the not so captainly thought she dreamed about and who it was related to. Pulaski did not have to guess, she knew everything Kathryn did was related to Seven of Nine.

The senior doctor remembered when Seven came to Starfleet Medical for her implant maintenance a few days before. The Voyager doctor told Pulaski that Seven's electrolyte levels was at an all time low, much lower than he had ever seen. He infused two litres of electrolyte into the young woman's system. She overheard him chastising Seven for not looking after herself properly. Seven confessed to him that it was Kathryn's fault that she was not consuming the required nutritional supplements. The EMH suggested that she should talk to admiral Paris to assign her to Janeway’s new ship. Seven agreed to go and see the admiral. 


	10. Chapter 10

_"Mother, those two are going to die without each other. Dr Pulaski said that Katie  has some sort of happy implant in her head to help her forget Seven, and Seven is starving herself to death over losing Katie. It's all getting out of control. Can we just lock them up together in one room for a week and see what_ happens?"Phoebe said, frustration and exasperation tingeing her voice.

Gretchen sipped on her coffee as she listened to her youngest daughter. She too felt that the women circling each other should really just talk but it seemed that neither knew how or where to start. Gretchen knew that they had kissed at least once in Risa. She took that to be a good sign. Maybe they just need a little push in the right direction.

Kathryn Janeway had sworn the two doctors to secrecy about the implant insertion. She did not want her family or her mentor and boss Admiral Owen Paris to know about it. She strongly believed that she was a failure in love. She had been engaged twice before but never set a wedding date. This time she felt strongly about someone then felt that she was taking advantage of them. At the same time she hoped that the one she was pining for would understand and wait for her to sort things out. It was such a confusing feeling.

Gretchen knew a little bit about stubborn people, particularly her family. Her husband and Kathryn and Phoebe’s father, Edward Janeway, had so much trouble expressing himself when he and Gretchen were courting. When confronted about it he always said that Gretchen had emotions for both of them. Katie seemed to be showing the same character trait as her father. Seven seemed to be as inexpressive as her friend, Kathryn Janeway. The older woman was beginning to think that perhaps Phoebe had a point?

Seven of Nine walked out of the Starfleet Medical complex and headed home to her small apartment a few streets away from Janeway’s San Francisco apartment. She knew that Kathryn had an appointment with the EMH in a few days. She had interrogated the doctor for information regarding Kathryn's appointment until the Doctor was forced to tell her. 

_"Doctor, i realize that you are strongly bound by ethics, that your program prohibit you from telling me information about captain Janeway."_

_""Yes?"_ The Doctor said cautiously. He had a bad feeling about the direction the conversation was heading. 

_"Could you tell me about my best friend, Kathryn Janeway? I am...concerned about her. She walked out on me a few days ago and had been hiding and running away from me ever since."_

So the Doctor explained everything about the implant in Janeway's pituitary gland and how it worked. Seven felt depressed. Janeway was trying to forget her and trying to be happy without her. She has moved on. Perhaps she too should move on. With that thought firmly in place Seven squared her shoulders and walKed home. 

The young woman was so deep in thought that she failed to look at her surrounding or where she was going.

"Thud!" Seven fell to the ground, but not before someone caught her by the shoulders. Seven felt herself held by gentle hands. 

She thanked the hands' owners and attempted to sit up.

" _Hi! Sorry about that. I wasn't looking where i was going. Here, let me help you up."_

As Seven sat up she looked straight into the Starfleet officer's gray eyes in command red uniform. Their gazes met and held for a few seconds. Seven of Nine's heart raced when she saw the officer with the four pips to signify her rank. She was a captain.

 _"Thank you, captain..."_ Seven did not know the captain's name.

 _"Zerana. Zerana Campbell."_ The tall captain said in Cockney accent, and helped the young woman up.

_"Thank you, captain Campbell."_

_" Are you okay?"_ Captain Campbell asked as she helped the fallen woman up. Seven was disconcerted at the keen interest the stranger seemed to show in her. She also felt drawn to Zerana, almost as she felt drawn to Kathryn Janeway.  How can she forget Janeway so quickly? 

_"Are you going home? Let me take you there. I've just got back from the Gamma Quadrant on the USS Marie Curie."_

_" Which class is your ship, captain Campbell?"_

_"Please, call me Zerana. I'm off duty and I'd like to use my given name for once. I'm tired of being called captain all the time for two bloody years. My ship is a galaxy class."_  Zerana flashed a winning smile at the young woman which seemed to completely captivate her. The ex drone wondered whether all Starflert captains were cut out from the same cloth? They seemed to capture her in their web and comtrol her, make her dance to their tune. She knew that she loved Kathryn Janeway but who is this captivating woman, who has just popped out of the blue to completely captivate her in just a few minutes? Caution is required before proceeding. Seven thought to herself.

Zerana took the initiative to start walking away from the corridor she bumped into the beautiful blonde ex borg woman. Seven followed her like a moth attracted to light. 

Soon the two women were walking side by side and talking like old friends, well, Zerana did most of the talking while Seven chipped in and commented as she saw fit. Soon the young woman disxovered that Zerana was as skilled at talking as her captain Janeway. 

The next few days Zerana picked Seven up from her flat. They went hiking together in the Swiss Alps. Later as they sat together in their rented cabin, Zerana moved close to Seven and kissed  her on the lips. The young woman's lips were unyielding at first, but when the captain reached a hand inside the ex drone's long sleeved top and pinched her nipple through her bra, Seven's touch starved body relived Janeway’s kisses. She felt a buzzing feeling run through her causing her to shiver.

" _Are you cold, Honey? Because i can make you hot."_ Zerana purred causing Seven to shiver some more. The young woman hated her body for betraying her. She loved Kathryn Janeway and she felt that she was cheating on her.

.

 


	11. Erotic confusion

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Seven of Nine finds out that she is unable to move on with her life.

" _Zerana...i...i...cannot do this with you..."_ Seven said as she was laid on the soft rug in front of the roaring fire.

" _Just relax, Seven, I'll take care of you."_ The captain said reassuringly. Seven laid her head down and looked up at Zerana with trusting eyes. The Marie Curie captain was now hovering above the young woman, her intentions clear. 

Seven briefly closed her eyes imagining it was someone else. Someone who held her heart captive and prevented her from moving on. She felt a featherlight kiss on the side of her neck, where a large vein thudded excitedly. Seven wished it was someone she loved. 

Seven felt her long sleeved top taken off her shoulders leaving her bra on. 

_"Front clasp?"_ Zerana said quietly and proceeded to undo the clasp. She peeled off the bra releasing large breasts with pebbled nipples from their captivity. Seven gasped when she felt a hot mouth capture one nipple and sucked on it eagerly. 

_"Uhhh!"_ Seven moaned. She tried to keep her eyes open but they stubbornly slammed shut. Her mind conjured up a different vision. A vision of another woman whom she was convinced that she was cheating on.

_"Stop!"_ Seven said and abruptly sat up. Her arms automatically went across her chest to cusp her breasts and hide them away from this unknown entity trying to get between her and the woman she truly loved. 

_"Captain Zerana Campbell, i cannot copulate with you. You are a good friend and i am willing to accommodate you, but my body, heart and mind belong to...Kath..."_ The young woman realized that she had just revealed too much information about herself to a  woman she barely knew. She almost let this woman make love to her. 

Zerana looked searchingly between the azure eyes of the young woman now sitting up with her hands covering her chest. It was as if Seven had erected an invisible force field around her. The captain sighed and came to sit next to Seven. She engulfed the young woman in an embrace but Seven stiffened and moved away from Zerana. 

Captain Campbell realized that the young woman was deeply connected to someone else. She had an idea of who it might be, she just needed confirmation from the young woman.

_"Captain Kathryn Janeway of the USS Voyager?"_ Campbell asked after she had assisted Seven put her clothes back on again.

_"Yes."_ Seven answered simply.

_"I...see."_ Zerana said stiffly but she tried very hard to suppress her disappointment. She got up and paced up and down the log cabin while Seven continued to sit on the floor looking into the yellowish red flames in the fire place.  The flames resembled Kathryn Janeway’s auburn locks.  Seven of Nine sighed.  'What have i done?' The ex borg woman thought to herself. 


	12. Chapter 12

* * *

Janeway sat in her mother's kitchen yawning. A steaming cup of black coffee sat on the table in front of her, untouched. Her mother discreetly watched her as she did her chores.

Kathryn was scrolling through the padd in her hand.The large crew manifest, almost four times larger than the Intrepid class ship she commanded for seven long years, kept going on and on. She noted that the galaxy class ship she was going to command was equally large in comparison to her old ship.

As Kathryn scrolled through the various departments and their heads' names she saw that some of them were redundant, that they may need merging. For example the  Astrometrics department  could be merged with Stellar Cartography. Her attention was drawn to the astrometrics department's head- Lieutenant Annika Hansen. 

" _Huh?!"_ That was the only reaction Janeway could think of before her mind went into overactive. She suddenly became distressed, reliving her own real past failures in love and imagined ones. The mixed emotions of anger, betrayal, loss of confidence...basically all the negative thoughts Kathryn had of herself. She could not handle it all, so with a thought she sent a signal to her pituitary gland. Natural endorphins were released in large quantities causing her to be happy. The happiness triggered more release of endorphins until she was overwhelmed. Janeway collapsed on the kitchen table.

Gretchen continued to do her chores while discreetly watching her daughter. Suddenly she heard Kathryn utter a single word to signify surprise " _Huh?"_ Then she saw her daughter fall face down on the table.

 _"Kathryn! Wake up!"_ When there was no response Gretchen quickly sent for an ambulance. They arrived within seconds. They took readings and detected high levels of hormones and low levels of essential electrolytes. They took her and her mother to Starfleet Medical.

The two doctors responsible for Janeway’s implant were in attendance. After few quick scans they decided that the stubborn captain's brain was overwhelmed by the cascading hormones which culminated in shutting her functions down to protect her. Apart from that Janeway needed electrolyte replacement therapy. The balding EMH shook his head in disbelief. Seven had depleted electrolyte levels caused by Janeway. Now Janeway’s condition was connected to Seven. He wondered why the two did not simply form a meaningful relationship. As he infused a bag of intravenoua fluid with electrolyte replacement into the unconscious woman he concluded that he will never understand human courting rituals.

 The doctors agreed to remove the implant as clearly Kathryn had already startred to abuse it. If left in place it could kill her. Gretchen was brought up to speed regarding what was going on with Kathryn. She was not surprised at Janeway's behaviour when it came to handling matters of the heart. 

 


	13. Chapter 13

Seven of Nine sat on the single couch in her apartment. She was still disconcerted over what transpired between she and captain Zerana Campbell recently. She sighed as her eidetic memory played, with vivid clarity, their interactions in the Swiss Alps cabin. The soft caresses of the other woman on her shoulders, the warm hands taking her long sleeved top off, the warm eager mouth sucking her erect nipple...especially this last activity. Her brain kept playing it as if it was stuck in a feedback loop. 

The young woman's right hand, out of its own volition, went up to her left breast. Her spread fingers gently squeezed the soft warm breast. Then they lightly massaged the small protrusion in the middle, causing the young woman to gasp and sit up straight. The memory flew away. Someone was at the door requesting entry. 

 _"Enter!"_ Seven said as she stood up and made herself presentable. She knew that she did not look unkempt in any way but something just made her feel like she should straighten her clothes up. She believed it to be one of her human quirks reasserting itself. 'I must be getting inefficient...like Kathryn' Seven smiled to herself.

Sometimes she longed for the simple life she had on Voyager, where she would regenerate for five hours, then go about her business wearing a skintight outfit designed to hold her implants in place. Later months and subsequent years Seven did not require the use of the body suits, but she found them practical. Even the crew no longer gave her a second glance after she had been on the ship for a few months. When she first arrived on Earth, her then boyfriend, Chakotay, explained that her bio suits were impractical and flattering, leaving nothing to the imagination. 

 _"Hey, Seven. Nice apartment! "_ Seven's friend and Voyager's chief engineer, B'Elanna Torres, said as she went to sit on the couch the ex drone had just vacated.

" _Hello, B'Elanna. Would you like a drink?"_ Seven asked politely. 

" _Seven, haven't you heard? The captain is at Starfleet Medical undergoing some sort of emergency surgery. Her mother and sister are with her now. You mean you don't know?"_

 _"Which captain?"_ Seven asked but deep down she knew who Torres was referring  to because her friend was unaware of her tryst with the galaxy captain, Zerana Campbell.

Torres looked up at her friend, wondering at Seven's rather cold and harsh tone in her voice.

 _"I assume you mean captain Janeway? Then we must leave at once!"_ Seven said urgently and started walking towards the door. " _Do you know what has transpired to warrant the emergency surgery?"_  She sounded distressed to Torres. 'That's more like the Seven i know.' Torres thought to herself and got up to follow her friend out of the house.

 _"All i know is that she collapsed at her mother's house in Bloomington."_ Torres said as she caught up with Seven's long strides.

The two women walked briskly until they reached the medical facility.

Kathryn Janeway woke up to gentle tones of medical equipment surrounding her. She attempted to open her eyes but the overhead lights were too bright. She groaned and closed them tightly again.

 _"Ah, captain you're awake! How are you feeling?"_ Voyager's EMH asked in his usual chirpy manner.causing Janeway to force her heavy eye lids open again. Her blurred vision cleared and she thought she saw Seven.

Kathryn's head was throbbing with pain as the anaesthesia was beginning to wear off. At least the headache was the only thing to deal with. She could not stand the tunnel rolling feeling which was making her nauseous. The Doctors attending to her assured her that it was all temporary and she will feel like her old self again, but Janeway was convinced that she was dying, and that she was going to tell Seven all she had been keeping in her heart. With that decision made Kathryn closed her eyes again and gathered her scattered thoughts. 

Seven of Nine and B'Elanna walked into the Recovery Room. Seven hesitated when she saw Phoebe turn around to look at the new comers. Phoebe smiled at B'Elanna but frowned at her. Seven's heart sank. Perhaps she was not welcome here. She seriously considered turning around to leave when she heard a distinct hoarse voice call her name.

 _"Seven? Is it you? I'm so glad you came. I need to tell you_ something." Janeway sighed. She did not know where to start but she needed to tell the younger woman how she really felt about her, that the reason for her surgery was connected to Seven. That she was ready to start loving Seven and not take advantage of her. It all sounded well in her anaesthetic filled mind, but how was she going to actually tell her?

Phoebe, who sat at the edge of Kathryn’s bed, stood up wordlessly, and went to join her mother and B'Elanna in the Doctor's office. She looked back at the bed once and saw that Seven had sat on the spot she had just vacated. 

The younger Janeway did not dare hope anything would come out of the little bedside chat. She was beginning to see how alike Seven and her older sister were. The two were headstrong, proud, stubborn and strong women. It was almost impossible to convince them when their minds were set on something. 

Janeway moved closer and within minutes Seven had her friend's head in her lap, stroking the red locks she had always wanted to touch. The young woman wished the intimacy was under different circumstances, preferably where there were no hospital equipment and relatives nearby. 'This will have to do for now.' She thought. 

The efficient young woman took advantage of her proximity and went on to gently squeeze Kathryn’s shoulders then release.

 _"How are you feeling, My Captain?"_ Seven asked softly while she combed through soft red locks with her fingers. 

'Did she just call me Her _captain? I think she wants me!'_ Janeway’s fragile heart hoped.

' _She's just being polite, don't you see?'_ Her voice of reason said. 

" _Oh, Seven, i missed you so much. There's so much i need to tell you, but not here. Maybe when i'm out of here..."_ Seven looked down at the woman she had always loved, now lying in her lap.  She gazed into her eyes. Slate gray eyes looked back up at her, there was not a sliver of blue in sight.

'She is worried.' Seven thought.

 _"Kathryn, i never went away. I know you suggested that i did, but i could not. I tried but i just could not be anywhere else but by your side. This drone cannot survive without you. Will you have me, Kathryn Janeway?"_ Seven whispered into Kathryn's ear. She did not know where those words had come from. She simply blurted them out, and it felt right.

_"Seven of Nine, Annika Hansen. Yes, i will have you. Can i call you Annika?"_

_"You can call me anything you like. I just want to be with you."_ Seven knew that she sounded needy but she did not care. All what mattered was that Kathryn Janeway wanted to be with her.

Janeway sat up and hugged her new girlfriend, pulling the leads attached to her head and chest in the process. The ones attached to her back went next causing a cacophony of beeps around them. 

The EMH, Dr Kate Pulaski, Phoebe, B'Elanna and Admiral Owen Paris, who had joined the small group in the doctors ' office earlier, came running to Kathryn's bedside. 

 _"What's going on? Is she okay, Doctor Pulaski?"_ Admiral Paris asked with fatherly concern, but soon the group stopped in their tracks. A tender scene which would be etched in their memories forever, unfolded before them.

Kathryn and Seven were locked in an intimate embrace. Janeway was leaning on one elbow kissing Seven. Seven held her close to her possessively as she gently kissed Kathryn back.

 _"Well, a mother can only know certain things about her child. I think I'll head back home, Doctors. You'll let me know of her progress, won't you?"_ Gretchen smiled at doctor Pulaski and Voyager's doctor then left the office.  

 _Yes of course, Mrs Janeway."_ The Voyager's doctor said and went to the machines to turn them off and remove the dislodged leads off his patient. Phoebe and B'Elanna looked at each other and smiled.

 _"I'm just glad my sister has finally started using her heart and not just her head."_ Phoebe said. 

 _"I'm just glad Seven has finally learned to use her Borg ingenuity on things that really matter. I hope she's going to use her stamina as well soon."_ Torres agreed.

The two women smiled at each other and walked out towards the facility's canteen for a coffee. Visiting time was over anyway. Owen followed them out. He felt like celebrating with a cup of coffee too.

 

 

 

 

 

 


	14. Chapter 14

A cacophony of beeps brought the captain out of the pleasant embrace. She sat up and looked around the room, to find out that she was in the hospital. Not only was she in hospital at Starfleet Medical Centre, but she was embraced by the woman of her dreams. She felt her face and neck warm up considerably. What if people saw them. Kathryn reluctantly tried to move out of the warm and inviting embrace but she felt the other woman hold her tightly and brought her impossibly closer to her.

 

 _"Captain, Seven, what are you doing? Your activities could destabilise your healing progress!"_ The Doctor said as he approached the bio bed and went on to turn off all the beeping machines. Seven of Nine looked up at the Doctor, while holding Kathryn possessively in her arms, and smiled at him.

 

" _Doctor, your procedure and machines could not heal Kathryn or sort her predicament. This has healed her..."_ Seven slowly reached down towards Kathryn`s upturned face. She slowly and tenderly kissed the redhead on the mouth. 

 

Doctor Pulaski entered the room at that very moment. She stood at the door for a few seconds then cleared her throat to announce her presence. When there was no reply, she pulled the EMH by the hand and led him out of the tender sight.

 

 _"...bur, but, i was only turning the machines off and you interrupted me, Dr Pulaski!"_ The Doctor said, his voice tingeing with irritation, possibly because he was enjoying watching the two women kissing.

 

 _"Dr, it is obvious that your sub routines are malfunctioning. You don`t possess a voyeurism sub routine. Leave them alone!"_ Kate Pulaski said and went to the other room to retrieve a padd so that the EMH could discharge the patient.

 

The EMH mumbled something under his breath and went on to do the paper work for Kathryn Janeway`s discharge.

 

A few minutes later the women came up for air. Seven brought out the bag and took out some clothes. She helped Kathryn put them on. In just a few minutes Janeway and Seven stood before the doctors as Janeway demanded that she be released from hospital because she felt well enough to go.

 

 _"Seven, what have you done to her? She requires at least 24 hours observation!"_ The Voyager Doctor said, disapproval tingeing his voice. Seven only raised an eye brow. She turned to Dr Pulaski and placed her hands behind her back.

" _Dr Kate Pulaski, is Kathryn well enough to go home?"_

_"Yes, Seven. She is. However, we were considering that she wear this cortical node at all times for the next 48 hours. On second thought i suggest you just bring the captain in after two days for observations. I do not want to know the details of your personal activities which will cause the cortical node to raise a false alarm."_

_"Very well."_ Seven said as she lovingly straightened Janeway`s hair. Kathryn leaned her head on the Borg woman`s shoulder and let Seven do all the talking with the doctors.

" _Be sure to eat, both of you, as your electrolytes still need boosting..."_ The Doctor chipped in but the women were already half way out the door.

 

Seven took her new girlfriend to her own house and ran her a bath. She put in lavender scented bath foam and oils and helped Janeway into the tub. She scrubbed every centimetre of the woman until she was clean. 

 

For the next few hours Seven fussed over her girlfriend until Kathryn decided to stop her.

 _"Seven, i am capable of doing certain things on my own, you know. Join me on the couch?"_ The women cuddled together on the couch and kissed gently for a few moments.

 

"So, have _you met my old friend, Captain Zerana Campbell of the USS Marie Curie? We were roommates in Command school when i switched from Science to Command. I like her accent."_ Janeway said after a while. Seven stiffened but quickly recovered.

 

 _"Yes, i am aware of captain Campbell."_   Seven decided that short answers will prevent her from saying anything she shouldn`t.

 

 _"...and?"_ Janeway prompted. She felt Seven stiffen again, it was almost a reflex. Kathryn thought that was interesting that whenever she mentioned Zerena, Seven would react in such a negative manner.

 

" _She is also my `old friend.`"_ Seven said wisely. If Seven had looked at the captain she would have seen an elegant raised eye brow at her response. She waited with bated breath for Kathryn`s reaction. She hoped she had not opened a can of worms.

 

Janeway wondered where the origin of the negativity towards captain Zerana Campbell stemmed from. Kathryn decided that would be a story for another time. Right then she was going to kiss the blonde goddess, now also her girlfriend, again. Finally Seven saw the redhead raise her head to kiss the young woman. Seven loved this activity and eagerly reciprocated. The women kissed until they were out of breath.

_"Lunch, Kathryn?"_

_"That would be lovely."_ Then the women went back to kissing again for a few more minutes.

 

 

 


	15. Chapter 15

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Then she took the young woman into her arms and kissed her passionately. It was one of the most daring things Janeway had ever done in her life."
> 
> After declaring their love for each other, Seven and Kathryn continue to maintain separate living arrangements, to Seven`s chagrin. Seven suggests to Kathryn that they share a house as it is efficient. Janeway gets cold feet about this major decision making. Matters get tricky when the galaxy class starship captain, and Kathryn`s old roommate and friend, Zerana Campbell, gets too acquainted with Seven, prompting Janeway to take drastic actions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry about the super delayed updates. Super busy, lol!!! I hope you enjoy this short chapter.

" _Darling, where are you?"_ Janeway said as she keyed in the front door encryption code to Seven`s house. She liked this house. It was small, a single bedroom, with a bathroom and toilet in the same room. The kitchen was further down the hall way. It boasted a medium sized replicator, a stasis unit to keep all perishable foods and a disposal unit. Janeway liked the old fashioned design of this house because it reminded her of the houses back in the agricultural hometown in Bloomington, Indiana. She was, however, unsure as to the reasons why Seven preferred this style. It seemed inefficient to the young woman she had known and grown to love for seven years. 

The door swished open for the redhead. Her olfactory sense was immediately bombarded by the aroma of freshly cooked food from the kitchen. Kathryn started to walk down the hallway towards the kitchen when she heard people talking and laughing. Female voices. " _Zerana Campbell!"_ Janeway  thought dejectedly. She felt a jealous twinge rise within her and it threatened to immolate her. Using all her command training, Kathryn pushed the feeling deep down within herself and sighed. _"It`s all my fault. I`m just an intrepid captain. She`s got everything. She captains a galaxy class starship. She`s tall and beautiful, just like Seven. She also has a beautiful British accent. What do i have to offer Seven, anyway?"_

Once she reached the kitchen door, Janeway schooled her features to one of confidence. She squared her shoulders and pushed the half opened door with much force than was necessary for the simple task. Zerana was leaning against the kitchen counter watching Seven chop, dice and stir different foods. She had her arms crossed against her chest and seemed to be watching her Seven with a half-lidded gaze. It was a wake up moment for Janeway. She and Seven needed to have a serious discussion about their relationship before they ship out on the new galaxy ship.

 

Seven of Nine deactivated the padd she was reading and looked up at the chronometer above the fire place. The time was 16:00 and Kathryn will be home soon. The two had agreed to have dinner at Seven`s house. Seven had over the weeks, become more disgruntled over Kathryn`s slow pace at handling their new relationship. All they had done was cuddle and a few kisses. Seven knew that Kathryn was holding back. Why was she holding herself back? The young blonde longed for Kathryn`s expressive hands to, well, express themselves on certain parts of her anatomy, to cause her to moan and groan in appreciation. She knew about the physical mechanics of lovemaking, even though she was still a virgin. She almost let another woman make love to her. Captain Zerana Campbell of the galaxy class star ship, the _USS Marie Curie_. If Seven was to be honest with herself, she found the galaxy captain extremely attractive, but she was not Kathryn Janeway whom she truly believe she was destined to be with. At that moment the back door opened and Zerana let herself in. Seven had also invited her for dinner, knowing that she was Kathryn`s friend. She knew that Janeway would not mind this.

 _"Zerana, welcome!"_ Seven exclaimed as she joined the other woman in the kitchen. Zerana kissed the blonde on the cheek and hugged her close, longer than social etiquette would dictate. Seven stiffened in her arms and quickly extricated herself.

 _"Aww, Seven? Still afraid of me? I promised you i won`t ever touch you in that manner again...well, unless you want me to...?"_ Zerana said seductively. Seven`s eyes went wide. Her heart began to pump faster as her body remembered their Swiss alps holiday in their rented log cabin, as she lay down on the soft rug in front of a roaring fire, and the intimate moments they had, well started to have. She could not believe this woman was seducing her again. Why was she drawn to star ship captains so strongly?  At that moment Seven made up her mind to talk to Kathryn about this, to ask her if she has revealed to her friend, Zerana, that Seven was her girlfriend. 

Feeling flushed, Seven used all her Borg enhanced mental strength to bring her heart rate down. She conjured up a memory in her mind, that of she and her Kathryn tenderly kissing in front of a roaring fire. `That`s better,` Seven thought. She brought her guest a glass of wine and went on to get all her raw ingredients and started preparing them for dinner.  

 

Kathryn Janeway pushed the kitchen door with much force than was necessary for the simple task and stormed in. Seven looked up from her stirring the tomato soup and watched the confident looking Janeway walk towards her then smiled a lopsided smile that always melted the young blonde`s heart. Seven was immediately turned on by this new and expressive Janeway.

 _"Hello, Darling. Did you miss me?"_ Kathryn said in a sultry voice. Then she took the young woman into her arms and kissed her passionately. It was one of the most daring things Janeway has ever done in her life, considering that she was never into public displays of emotions. When the kiss ended, Seven had no idea where she was and what she was doing. She was extremely turned on by the new expressive Janeway and she wanted more of her. 

 

Zerana, who had just taken a sip of her third glass of wine, spat the mouthful all over her jeans top front. She had no idea the two were involved. She was told by Seven before, in the Swiss Alps, but there had never been any physical signs of their union in any way. She went into a coughing fit until her throat was clear.

 

 _"So, you two are , umm, really together? Janeway, i had no idea you had it in you...or that you were into..."_ Zerana stuttered.

 _"...into what, Campbell? Love? Women? I`m actually into both."_ Janeway smirked and walked out of the kitchen to go and change into civilian clothes in preparation for dinner.

 

 

 


End file.
